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GENERAL DENTISTRY |
Root Canal Treatment The aim of root canal treatment (also called "endodontic" treatment) is to save a tooth that has been badly damaged due to decay, disease or injury. Many millions of teeth each year are saved from extraction by having root canal treatment. Most people prefer to save their tooth because it generally will function better than an artificial tooth. Your own tooth is usually stronger and more efficient for biting and chewing. Cleaning and maintenance of a natural tooth are much easier. However good an artificial tooth can be, it will never be more than just a substitute for a real tooth. Problems with biting, chewing and oral health are associated with losing a tooth. For example, nearby teeth can move out of their normal position and tilt into the space left by a missing tooth. This can make chewing and biting difficult, and can lead to further decay and gum disease around the tilted teeth. Root canal treatment is successful in most cases. If you take good care of the treated tooth, it may last for many years and possibly for the rest of your life. Your tooth will not be treated unless the treatment is likely to succeed. Root canal treatment may not be appropriate in some cases, and extraction may be the best, or only, option. All general dental practitioners are trained to perform root canal treatment. Some patients may be referred by their dentist to another dentist called an "endodontist" who has special qualifications in root canal treatment. Infection or Inflamation of the pulp Symptoms may include pain, sensitive to heat or cold, tooth discolouration, and swelling or soreness in the gums surrounding the tooth. If the pulb cannot repair itself, it will initially become inflamed. If it is not treated, it will die and become infected. Root canal treatment is then needed to save the tooth. To improve the chances of success, root canal treatment should start as soon as possible. All root canals in the affected tooth must be treated. The front teeth (incisors) have one or two root canals. If the pulp of the tooth is not treated quickly, severe pain and abscesses (infections at the ends of the roots) can occur. If an abscess is left untreated, infection can damage the bone surrounding the root. If the tooth does not have endodontic treatment, it will have to be removed. Your dentist or endodontist will examine the tooth and take a radiograph (X-ray film). A local anaesthetic is usually given to block pain. A sheet of latex, called rubber dam, is used to isolate the tooth and keep it clean and dry during treatment. To reach the pulp, an opening through the tooth is made with a dental drill. Using special instruments called files, your dentist or endodontist will remove the inflamed or infected pulp. Each root canal is cleaned, enlarged and shaped. Anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial medicines may be put inside the root canal to help stop the inflammation and infection. If a severe abscess has formed at the root tip, oral antibiotics may be needed to treat the infection. You may need to make several visits to the dentist or endodontist to complete the treatment. A temporary filling will protect the inside of the tooth between visits. Pain or discomfort, if any, usually lasts no more than a few days, and will not be experienced by every patient. Some people may want to make a mild pain reliever such as aspirin, ibuprofen or paracetamol. Your dentist or endodontist may take several radiographs to check the shape and length of the root canals and the success of the treatment. After the pulp has been removed, the tooth is not "dead". The tooth can survive without the pulp because it is nourished mostly by tissues around it. Removal of the root end: Completion of treatment Fitting an artificial Crown: Usually an endodontically treated tooth has an incresed risk of fracture without the protection of an artificial crown, so one should be fitted soon after treatment. Typically made of porcelain or gold, the artificial crown is needed to: |